Tag Archives: cedar shoals

Meadowcreek improved to 5-0 with a 42-28 victory over Lakeside-Dekalb (1-4). Chauncey Williams rushed for over 300 yards and five touchdowns for the Mustangs. The victory assures the Mustangs their first non-losing season since 1997. Meadowcreek is now 1-0 in region play and will face Berkmar (0-5) next week and with a victory would clinch the first winning season in school history since 1990 (the schools fifth year of football). Through five games Williams has amassed over 1200 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns.

Douglas County (5-0) defeated region and family feud foe Langston Hughes (3-2) 30-27 in a back and forth affair featuring a pair of solid running backs showcasing their talents. Douglas County jumped out to a 10-0 lead after a pick six touchdown by Xavier Hopson and a field goal. Langston Hughes then took a 14-10 lead after a Caleb Vaughn to Nae’Saan Dickerson touchdown pass and a Christian Roylaston touchdown run in the second quarter which held until halftime. After another Royalston touchdown run put Langston Hughes up 20-10, Uriah West rushed for a pair of touchdowns for a 23-20 Tigers lead. Royalston and the Panthers was not done as Royalston ripped off a 70-yard touchdown to for a 27-23 lead. Douglas County would get the last word when Marquise Collins connected with Dariyan Wiley for a 75-yard touchdown pass with less than two minutes remaining for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown. The win marked the first 5-0 start for Douglas County since 2002.

Georgia High School Football

One-Sided Clash In Classic City!

Clarke Central (4-1) jumped on Cedar Shoals (3-1) early and often in a 48-7 rout of their crosstown rivals in the region opener for both. The Gladiators scored three defensive touchdowns (pick six, scoop and score, and a fumble recovery in the end zone). Jack Mangel connected with Jacob Dula on a touchdown pass for a 7-0 Clarke Central lead, Mangel passed for two touchdowns in the game. Cedar Shoals responded with a drive that stalled deep in Gladiator territory and missed a field goal, the contest was never close again. Clarke Central came one point shy of tying the all-time series record for points scored by one team (49) while posting all 48 points in the first half. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock. Jonathan Sewell and O’Brien Bryant rushed for touchdowns for Clarke Central.

Other Games/Scores Of Interest

Ira Henderson returned his second kickoff return for a touchdown this season as Stephenson (3-2) defeated Mundy’s Mill (0-5) 38-14. Javier Morton returned an interception for a touchdown for Stephenson.

Taurean Taylor rushed for three touchdowns while Travon Ford hooked up with Josh Vann on a pair of touchdown passes as Tucker (4-1) shutout ML King (2-3) 44-0. David Davis rushed for a touchdown and Jalen Jefferson recorded a safety for the Tigers.

Tift (6-0) defeated Coffee (3-1) 33-31 on a game-winning field goal by Fernando Ramirez with five seconds remaining. Coffee overcame an early 21-0 hole to take a 31-30 lead with a Wade Sumner to Dalrone Donaldson touchdown pass with just over four minutes remaining. Tift quarterback Griffin Collier finished with over 300 yards passing, four touchdowns, two of them to standout wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Dalrone Donaldson caught two touchdowns for Coffee. Tift improved to 6-0, it’s best start since 1993.

Carterville (5-0) won it’s 35th consecutive game with a 41-7 victory over Cedartown. Trevor Lawrence passed for three touchdowns while Rico Frye rushed for and caught a touchdown for Cartersville. Cartersville had held its last three opponents (Calhoun, Westlake and Cedartown) to 18 total points.

Tri-Cities (1-3) won its first game of the season to snap a 13-game losing streak with a 41-6 win over Creekside (0-5). Tarez Huddleston passed for four touchdowns for the Bulldogs. Creekside has only scored 22 total points this season.

McEachern (3-2) trailed 13-9 at halftime to Camden County (2-3) before scoring 29 unanswered points in the second half to win 38-13. Jaron Hall returned a punt for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass for the Indians. Malik Evans rushed for two touchdowns and Ali Scott had a rushing touchdown for McEachern. Logan Berryhill caught a touchdown for Camden County.

Colquitt County (5-1) used four field goals from Ryan Fitzgerald to defeat Valdosta (2-4) 27-0. Ty Leggett scored the only offensive touchdown of the game with a four-yard run late in the second quarter.

Grayson (4-0) 74-0 over International School of Broward (FL) (1-2). DJ Irons passed for four touchdowns while J’Kori Jones passed for three touchdowns for the Rams. Grayson is now 3-0 this season in out-of-state games and will play their final non-Georgia opponent this Friday when they host Ramsay (AL) (4-1). Ramsay has won three straight games and is currently ranked in the Alabama Class 6A Top 5.

Lovejoy (3-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 41-33 victory over Drew (1-4). Zion Custis rushed for three touchdowns for the Wildcats.

Cedar Grove (5-0) won their 15th straight game by defeating the last team to beat them, Westminster (1-4) 41-10. The 15-game winning streak is a new school record.

Georgia Week 3 of high school football was played over the weekend with only a handful of games cancelled or postponed due the approaching Hurricane Irma. Most of those games were in the southeastern coastal portions of Georgia after mandatory evacuations were issued. Here is a look at some the games of interest from Week 3 in Georgia

Cartersville’s (4-0) Trevor Lawrence passed for over 280 yards and 3 touchdowns while Rico Frye rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass as class 4A Cartersville defeated 7A Westlake (1-2) 38-5. EJ Turner caught a pair of touchdown passes for the Purple Hurricanes who won their 34th consecutive game.

Mays (2-1) won its second consecutive game since a season opening loss to Stockbridge with a 32-20 region 5-6A victory over Langston Hughes (2-1). Jaquez Milam connected with Christian Royalston on a 42-yard pass to give Langston Hughes an early 7-0 lead. Later Mays pulled to within 7-6 on a touchdown run by Tyree Nelson. Mays took a 12-7 into halftime after quarterback Jaquez Evans hooked up with Amir Abdur Rahman on a 56-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter the team quickly exchanged touchdowns as Langston Hughes’ TJ Portress briefly gave the Panthers an 14-12 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff Ihbin Tophia returned it 80 yards for a touchdown for an 18-14 lead. The Raiders expanded the lead to 25-14 on Nelson’s second touchdown run of the game. Antoino Grier block a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown and 32-14 Mays lead in the fourth quarter. Langston Hughes completed the scoring with a Tyrea Swanson 10-yard touchdown run for the final 32-20 margin.

Meadowcreek (3-0) improved to 3-0 for the first time in the programs 32-year history with a 29-27 win over Forsyth Central (0-3). Meadowcreek, located in Norcross, Ga in Gwinnett County, is 73% Hispanic. The Mustangs have one of the largest offensive lines in Georgia averaging around 320 pounds which paved the way for two rushing touchdowns by Chauncey Williams (180-plus yards rushing). Jeremiah Caldwell had a receiving touchdown while Alonzo Howard returned an interception for a touchdown. Meadowcreek led 26-6 at one point before Forsyth Central rallied. The Bulldogs closed to within 26-20 on a late third quarter touchdown run by Devron Orasn. Meadowcreek added its cushion early in the fourth quarter on a field goal by Christopher Linares to put the Mustangs up 29-20. Forsyth Central added another Orasn touchdown to make it 29-27 however on their next possession were unable to convert a fourth down which sealed the victory for Meadowcreek.

Cedar Shoals (3-0) defeated North Oconee (1-2) in dramatic fashion 13-6. Ken Johnson rushed for two touchdown but it was his 5-yard touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in the game that propelled the Jaguars to the victory. Cedar Shoals has won the last two meeting between the two schools.

Stephenson (1-2) defeated Southwest Dekalb (2-2) 31-18 in a sloppy game featured five fumbles between the two teams . Ira Henderson return the second half kickoff 86 yards fro a touchdown to jump start Stephenson after trailing 6-0 at the half. Stephenson’s Deshon Stoudemire caught a pair of touchdowns, one from Ga’von Wray another from Daren Parker. Justin Tomlin passed for three touchdowns for Southwest Dekalb.

Georgia High School Football

Stockbridge (3-0) for the second consecutive week allowed their opponent to score on their opening possession and for the second consecutive week after that they did not allow their opponents to score again. Dutchtown (2-1) jumped out a 7-0 lead after Shanaan McKoy’s short touchdown run capped the Bulldogs opening drive. Stockbridge pulled to within 7-6 after a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Demaje Carter. Marquez Ezzard added a touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the final 13-7 margin. Dutchtown’s final drive ended with an interception to cap another stingy night of Stockbridge defense which has allowed only 14 points in three games this season. It was Stockbridge’s eight consecutive victory over county and region foe Dutchdown. Lovejoy (41.5), Dutchtown (41) and Mays (36.1) are all averaging 36-plus points in games this season when not including their game against Stockbridge in which all were held to single digits (Mays was shutout).

Grayson (3-0) defeated John Curtis (LA) (1-1) 22-9 on the strength of a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Quarterback DJ Irons rushed for a touchdown then hooked up with Jalen Rivers an 21-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as the Rams overcame an early 9-3 deficit for the win. Grayson collected its second victory over an out-of-state opponent this season and have International School of Broward (FL) and Ramsay (AL) remaining on the schedule. Grayson has won 17 consecutive games, including two over Alabama power Hoover, since losing to IMG Academy (FL) in their 2016 season opener.

Colquitt County (4-0) shutout Roswell (1-2) 28-0 to win its third consecutive game. Ty Leggett rushed for two touchdowns in the second half while Nigel Hillery rushed for a touchdown in the fourth quarter for the final margin.

Dacula (1-2) picked up its first win of the season by snapping Arabia Mountain’s three-game win streak with a 9-0 shutout victory. Jalen Perry rushed for the lone touchdown of the game and Zachary Gerts connected on field goal for Dacula. Arabia Mountain (3-1) had a short touchdown run called back for holding in the first half and missed a field goal in the second half.

North Gwinnett has won three in a row since losing its season opener to Walton

North Gwinnett (3-1) won their third straight game defeating Norcross (2-2) 35-14. North Gwinnett’s Tyler Goodson rushed for over 240 yards and three touchdowns. Jimmy Urzua, who took over as quarterback for injured starter Cade Fortin in the first quarter of the Milton game, has led the Bulldogs to all three victories. Urzua and Devin Crosby each rushed for touchdowns as North Gwinnett amassed over 330 yards rushing as a team.

New Manchester (2-1) shutout Creekside 23-0. AJ Taylor rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns while Eddie Ellis caught a touchdown for New Manchester. Creekside (0-3) has been been shutout in all three games being outscored 89-0.

Other Scores/Notes of Interest:

Woodstock (2-1) became the fourth Georgia team to score 70-plus points this season in their 77-49 shootout victory over Kennesaw Mountain (2-1). Rockdale County (75 vs Berkmar), Habersham Central (72 vs East Hall) and Mountain View (71 vs Osborne) are the others.

The High School football season cranked up with a full schedule in Georgia on the final Friday in September. Here are some notes and scores from around the state.

In a battle of state champions from the highest class in Georgia (Grayson) and Alabama (Hoover), host Grayson jumped out a 14-0 lead and held on late for a 35-26 victory over the Buccaneers. Hoover (0-1) pulled to within two points, 28-26 on Larry McCammon’s third rushing touchdown with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Grayson answered quickly when DJ Irons hooked up with Keynon Jackson for 71-yard touchdown pass to give Grayson (1-0) the 35-26 cushion which they held for the victory. Ronald Thompkins rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns while DJ Irons passed for 200 yards and touchdown and rushed for a touchdown. Hoover falls to 2-4 all-time against Georgia opponents and 0-2 all-time to Grayson.

High School Football

In Moultrie, GA the Colquitt County (2-0) Packers won their second straight game with a 26-7 victory over Vista Murrieta (CA). Daijun Edwards rushed for two touchdowns, Cam Singletary scored on a 46-yard touchdown reception and the Colquitt County defense held their second straight opponent under 150 yards of total offense. It was the Packers first-ever game against a team from California.

Lowndes (2-0) shutout its second opponent in a row with a 56-0 victory over International School Of Broward (FL). The Vikings have outscored their first two opponents 111-0 to open the season including a 45-0 victory over rival Valdosta in the season opener. Valdosta (1-1) defeated Woodland-Stockbridge (1-1) 26-0 to earn it’s first victory of the season while handing the Wolfpack it’s first loss.

Defending 5A state champion Rome (1-0) defeated 6A Harrison (0-1) 33-21. Rome score the final 16 points of the contest after Harrison scored 14 unanswered points to take a 21-17 lead in the second half after trailing 17-7. Knox Kadum passed for a pair of touchdowns- both to Xavier Roberts, while Jamious Griffin rushed for a touchdown and defensive lineman JaQuon Griffin returned a fumble for a touchdown. Highly-touted Harrison quarterback Justin Fields passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another while finishing with over 300 yards of total offense.

Clarke Central (1-1) rebounded from a season opening loss to Winder-Barrow by defeating Oconee County (0-1) 27-11. Leading 14-3 in the third quarter, Jonathan Sewell caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jack Mangel. Kapres Forbes put the game away by returning a punt 51 yards for a touchdown giving Clarke Central a 27-3 lead later in the third quarter. Mangel and Nadarrius Smith each had rushing touchdowns against the Warriors.

Stockbridge (1-0) used a Gabe McKensize touchdown run, a short field goal and a stout defense to defeat Mays (0-1) 9-0 for the second consecutive season. It marked the first time Mays was shutout in 64 games.

Mill Creek (2-0) scored 31 unanswered points enroute to a 31-13 victory over class 6A Stephenson (0-2). The Hawks, who overcame a deficit for the second consecutive week (defeated McEachern in season opener after trailing), rushed for over 200 yards and four touchdowns as a team.

Cartersville (2-0) won their 32nd consecutive game with a 52-45 victory over Bartram Trail (FL) (0-1). Rico Frye rushed for a one-yard touchdown with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to break a 45-45 tie and give Cartersville the 52-45 lead. Bartram Trail moved to the Cartersville 11 yard line after a pass interference call in the end zone however on the next play Riley Smith’s pass was incomplete as time expired. Cartersville’s highly-touted quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for over 400 yards with three touchdowns while Rico Frye rushed for over 125 yards and two touchdowns. Bartram Trail rotated Smith and Gatewood at quarterback most of the day. Gatewood passed for over 160 yards and a touchdown while rushing for over 115 yards.

Cedar Shoals (1-0) overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Discovery (0-2) for the second consecutive season 22-12. Trailing 12-7, Cedar Shoals’ Cameron Hudson returned a lateral for a touchdown for a 15-12 lead after a successful two-point conversion. The Jaguars sealed the deal with a 19-play drive capped by a Jephari Colbert 7-yard touchdown with just more than three minutes remaining in the game. Colbert rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns for the Jaguars.

The Georgia Class 5A state runner-up Cedar Shoals Jaguars are gearing up for next season as the summer schedule begins. The Jaguars competed in a team camp at North Oconee high school over the weekend and will compete in the Miller Grove Shot Clock league later this month as a play date participate against Mays, Stephenson, defending 6A champion Langston Hughes, Heritage-Conyers, Rockdale, Meadowcreek, Tucker and Forest Park beginning June 12th.

Cedar Shoals must replace seven rotation seniors from last seasons team including 5A player of the year and leading scorer Phlandrous Fleming (Charleston Southern). That core unit led the Jaguars to three consecutive trips to the semifinals the past three seasons including the runner-up finish last season.

Rising seniors Jai’vanni McDavid, Darien Appling and Keivasiay Ball along with sophomore Jaden Williams have been tasked with engineering the sustaining of the programs recent success under head coach L’Dreco Thomas. The group has help as the Jaguars have added a pair of sophomore transfers in Quincy Canty and Jalen Jackson.

Quincy Canty, a 6’5 forward who was an All-Region 8-1A Private selection last season, comes over from neighboring private school Athens Christian. Canty led the Eagles in scoring while averaging a double-double and guided the Eagles to a quarterfinal finish last season in 1A Private. Canty was not with the team this past weekend as he was participating in the Crossroads Elite Camp in Indianapolis, Indiana, a camp Phlandrous Fleming attended as a sophomore as well. Carter plays travel ball with the EYBL Georgia Stars.

Jalen Jackson, a 6’2 guard, comes over from Lincoln County. Jackson averaged 7 points and 7 rebounds as a freshman last season for the Red Devils. Jackson will also play football for the Jaguars.

The 2nd Annual L’Dreco Thomas Youth Basketball Camp will be held June 26th-29th at Cedar Shoals High School. Registration dates are June 8th (3pm-5pm) and June 15th (4pm-6pm) in front of Turner-Neathery Gymnasium. Walk-up registration will be held on June 26th beginning at 12pm. Last years camp featured over 75 campers attending the four-day camp which features shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, defensive and skill development drills with current Jaguar varsity players. Special guest speakers included current University of Georgia basketball players along with other notable guest from around the basketball and Athens community. For more information and registration contact Coach Thomas at 706-546-5375 or via email thomasl@clarke.k12.ga.us.

The Cedar Shoals Jaguars entered the Georgia class 5A Track & Field state championships in Carrollton, GA as a one of the favorites to take the state title along with Grady and Southwest Dekalb.

Rogerous Swain won the triple jump state championship, Markell Allen finished third in the triple jump and Michael Horvat picked up two points in the high jump with a seventh place finish giving the Jaguars 18 points to sit fourth after the field events.

The strength of the Jaguars was its depth in the running events as Cedar Shoals had multiple participants qualify for the finals in the 100M and 200M as well as the 300M hurdle events.

Trent Harris finished sixth while Rogerous Swain finished eighth to earn the Jaguars four points in the 100M. Harris ran a time of 11.00 while Swain ran an 11.04. Southwest Dekalb’s Terryon Conwell won the event with a time of 10.83.

Markell Allen and Rogerous Swain finished fourth and fifth in the 200M to earn the Jaguars five points. Allen finished with a time of 22.04 while Swain ran a 22.08. Southwest Dekalb’s Terryon Conwell won the event with a time of 21.68.

Photo Courtesy: Georgia Prep Sports Network

Lirante Jackson picked up two points with a seventh place finish in the 400M with a time of 49.35. Southwest Dekalb’s Terryon Conwell won the event with a time of 47.59.

Jon Oglesby picked up a point with his eight place finish in the 800M with a time of 2:04.98. Decatur’s Sam Ellis won the event with a time of 1:51.85.

Ashton Daniel picked up 16 points with his runner-up finishes in the 110M and 300M hurdles with times of 14.57 and 38.41 respectively. Cameron Hudson finished sixth in the 300M with a time of 40.34 to earn three points. Grady’s Christian McNair-Jones won both events with times of 14.17 and 38.28 respectively.

The 4x100M relay team of Markell Allen, Ashton Daniel, Trent Harris, Rogerous Swain with alternates Jon Oglesby and Formetrius Jones won the state title in this event with a time of 40.74. The Jags time was the tied for the fastest time in the event including prelims and finals matching Grady’s 4x100M prelim time. Grady didn’t not score in the finals due to a DNF.

Markell Allen, Ashton Daniels, Lirante Jackson, Rogerous Swain along with alternates Trent Harris and Formetrius Jones put the icing on the cake with a runner-up finish in the final event, the 4x400M relay with a time of 3:19.90 to earn the final eight points. Fayette County won the event with a time of 3:17.82. Southwest Dekalb’s team led by Terryon Conwell was disqualified on false starts however even with a first place finish and DNF from the Jaguars they would not have been able to catch them as the Jaguars had a 12-point lead entering the event. Grady did not have a team qualify for the finals.

Cedar Shoals finished with 71 points to come out on top by a 20-point margin to win its first state championship since 2005 and fourth in school history. The Jaguars also won state titles in 2001 and 2003 and finished as the runner-up in 2000, 2013 and 2016.

Southwest Dekalb finished second with 51 points while Grady finished third with 50 points. Host Carrollton finished tied for fourth with Starr’s Mill with 41 points.

Rogerous Swain won the Georgia 5A Triple Jump state championship with a final jump of 48′-05.25″. Swain previously had the longest jump this season in all classifications with a mark of 50′-00.00″ during the regular season. Swain’s first place finished earned the Jaguars ten points.

Markell Allen finished third with a final jump of 47′-04.75 to earn the Jaguars six points.

Cedar Shoals has been knocking on the door of the championship game the last two seasons in the semifinals and it just would not open. Losses of one and two points in the semifinals prevented the Jaguars from playing for a state championship. Saturday at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga the Jaguars kicked the door down and left no room for making a third straight semifinal loss.

Powerhouse and defending 5A champion Miller Grove has won seven titles in the last eight years were on the other sideline. The Wolverines are under the direction of first-year head coach Rasual Chester however the expectations at Miller Grove are the same, win championships.

George Wilson III put Miller Grove up 7-5 with a three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, that would be the last time the Wolverines would lead. Cedar Shoals broke off one of their patented runs that never left the game in doubt.

Phlandrous Fleming nailed a three as the first quarter ended to put Cedar Shoals up 14-7. Fleming converted a three-point play to open the second quarter and A.J. Jones dropped in a three-pointer to cap a 15-0 run to give Cedar Shoals a 20-7 lead, the Jaguars never looked back.

Miller Grove and Cedar Shoals tip it off in the semifinals

“We have been playing a lot better defensively which forces teams to take bad shots and we have been great on the defensive boards which leads to transition buckets and it helps us find our rhythm,” Cedar Shoals head coach L’Dreco Thomas said about making massive runs all season.

Snipe Hall drilled a three to give Cedar Shoals a 42-16 lead in the third quarter that sent the Jaguars on their way to a 59-38 victory. The win is not so much a surprise as is the manner of it and margin of victory.

“My staff came up with a great game plan and the players worked the plan to a T,” Thomas said. “(The players) were focused and confident.”

Cedar Shoals (27-4) held Miller Grove (21-9) to a season-low 38 points and held leading scoreer Naquante Hardy (20ppg avg) to a season-low five points. Before losing to Cedar Shoals, Miller Grove had only lost to McEachern (7A semifinalist), Wheeler (7A Sweet 16) and Columbia (5A Sweet 16) from the state of Georgia.

“We knew we had to limit (Hardy’s) scoring opportunities and know where he was at all times,” Thomas said. ” I think switching defenses throughout the game gave them problems. We never let them get in a rhythm and we didn’t give up transition buckets.”

Jaguar boys will play for their first-ever Georgia state championship

Cedar Shoals earned its first-ever appearance in the state championship for the boys program in school history. The girls program won the 1992 state championship under head coach Charles Turner and last played for a state championship in 1999 (lost to Pope).

Cedar Shoals will play for the 5A championship four miles from its campus at the University of Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum.

The second-ranked Jaguars will face top-ranked Buford in the finals. Buford (28-2) earned its spot in the finals by defeating Fayette County (23-8) 83-60 behind 25 points and 14 rebounds by sophomore Marcus Watson. Alex Jones finished with 23 points while David Viti added 16 for the Wolves. Buford is the Region 8-5A champion and has not lost this season to a team from Georgia. Buford and Cedar Shoals have been ranked 1-2 since mid-January by multiple polls in the state.

“It’s an honor just to play in the state finals. To play in it in our hometown makes it special,” Thomas said.

It will be the fourth meeting this season between the two teams with Buford winning all three previous meetings. All three were competitive games with the region championship game having the largest margin of victory of the three contests.

Total Sports Coverage carried all three previous Buford-Cedar Shoals contest this season. Each game is available via the following archive links below…

“Buford is a great basketball team. We can’t look at it as they beat us three times, because right now those loses don’t count,” Thomas said. “The winner of this one gets the biggest prize. We will focus on their strength and things that we feel we can be exploited and instill those in our guys and just go play. We can’t worry about the past.”

Two teams that know each other well, one win is all they need to be the Georgia 5A state champ.

One can only think an expected near capacity crowd at Stegeman Coliseum will be ready to bring the funk and the noise in the Wednesday nightcap.

Miller Grove laid 101 points on Cedar Shoals in the first round of the 2011 state tournament the last time these teams met. That meeting was the first state tournament game for the Jaguars under head coach L’Dreco Thomas. Including that lost Thomas has posted a 10-4 record in the state tournament which includes back-to-back semifinal losses the previous two seasons.

Enter the 2017 semifinals where the two teams will meet again in an official game (the teams have played against each other in summer ball the last couple of summers) since the 2011 state tournament.

Miller Grove (21-8) is under the direction of first-year head coach Rasual Chester after 7-time state champ head coach Sharman White left for an assistant position at Georgia State University. The Wolverines have continued to pick up momentum after a slow start this season with a heavy national schedule in place. Five of the Wolverines eight losses were to non-Georgia teams while the in-state losses were to McEachern (7A semifinalist), Wheeler (7A quarterfinalist) and region foe Columbia (5A Sweet 16).

Senior Nequante Hardy leads Miller Grove in scoring at just under 20 points per game while junior Kevin Paige leads the team in rebound with 7.7 per game.

Chester has weathered the storm of following in the shoes of White by noting his faith and belief in his team and the foundation laid by White. The task is tall as Miller Grove is searching for title number eight and are in the semifinals for the ninth time in ten seasons.

Cedar Shoals (26-4) is looking to get over the hump that is the semifinals. In their previous two semifinals games the Jaguars have loss by a combined three points.

Phlandrous Fleming (Charleston Southern) is the unsung leader and go-to-guy for the Jaguars. Fleming leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 20.1 and 7.2 respectively.

“He’s the most unselfish player I’ve every seen,” Thomas said earlier this season. “He does it all, there’s nothing he can’t do.”

Stavion Stevenson and Snipe Hall provide much of the help for the Jaguars. Stevenson averages 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while manning the post and stepping out for the soft lefty jumper when needed. Snipe Hall is averaging 11.4 points and 4.1 rebounds while providing athleticism, timely shooting and another person the defense must account for.

A.J Jones, Damarrea Lowe and Jai’Vanni McDavid have been solid for the Jaguars in their respective roles this season. Lowe began the season coming off the bench but entered the starting line up in late December. Lowe is the floor general at the point guard spot and is dropping off 4.7 dimes per game. Jones continues to be a threat from long distance shooting the three-ball at a 41 percent clip . McDavid (6.8pts 3.3reb 2.2stl) started earlier in the season but now comes of the bench does whatever is asked without question.

Two programs, Cedar Shoals older than Miller Grove, each are looking to make history, the Jaguars are back where they’ve been before but can they come through? Miller Grove is still a game away from getting back to where they expect to be regardless of who is the bench boss.

Both are familiar with the gym and the rims at Columbus State University, they tip at 4pm today.

Lithonia led host Cedar Shoals 17-3 with 1:38 remaining in the first quarter and seemed poised to pull off another road upset in the state tournament. Lithonia, the lone four-seed remaining in class 5A, defeated one-seed Villa Rica and three-seed Riverdale in “upsets” in the first two rounds of the state tournament .

The Bulldogs force Cedar Shoals to struggle from the field, commit multiple turnovers and looked flat on defense for most of the opening frame. The capacity crowd was ready to get behind the Jaguars however Lithonia was doing everything to prevent it.

Cedar Shoals head coach L’Dreco Thomas is known for not calling a timeout when things get shaky and he held back for as long as he could but after a Robert Hatchett bucket to give Lithonia a 12-1 lead, Thomas broke and called the timeout with 3:41 left in the first quarter.

Thomas’ timeout did not seem to slow things as Lithonia outscored Cedar Shoals 7-2 after the time out and then began to slow the game down. That’s when things changed for the Jaguars, when the Bulldogs went away from what put them up 14 points on the road in had a hostile environment. Snipe Hall hit a three-pointer for Cedar Shoals’ first field goal with 1:22 left in the quarter which was followed up by a thundering one-handed dunk by senior Phlandrous Fleming (Charleston Southern) and the run began.

Phlandrous Fleming (24) iced the Jaguars victory from the foul line

Fleming’s dunk not only woke up the crowd but it was that single play that woke up the second-ranked Jaguars. Stavion Stevenson gave the Jaguars their first lead, 18-17, on a hoop assisted by Fleming. Fleming capped the game-changing 17-0 run with an alley-oop dunk with just over six minutes remaining in the second quarter to give Cedar Shoals a 20-17 lead.

Lithonia per its custom all season under head coach Wallace Corker did not go away. Hatchett ended the run with a bucket and the teams traded the lead multiple times the remainder of the half until Tyquon Mitchell scored to beat the horn giving Cedar Shoals a 25-24 halftime lead, they never trailed again.

Lithonia made one last surge in the fourth quarter by using a 12-3 run to chop a 13-point Jaguar lead to four with just over two minutes remaining. Cedar Shoals answered the bell when Fleming hit Stevenson for to stop the run and slammed it shut at the free throw line when Fleming went 5-of-6 in the final 1:30 to salt it away.

Cedar Shoals (26-4) will face Miller Grove (21-8) in the semifinals at Columbus State University on Saturday at 4pm. Miller Grove defeated Riverwood 59-43 to advance.

Cedar Shoals is making its third straight appearance in the semifinals and has never advanced to the finals. Miller Grove is in the semifinals for the ninth time in the past ten seasons and has won seven state championships.